Spoon.



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MARY V. PUTNAM, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

SPOON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

Application filed June 16, 1910. Serial No. 567,252.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARY V. PUTNAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spoons, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to spoons and is designed more particularly as a practical improvement upon the spoon constituting the subject matter of my Letters Patent No. 896,043 of August 11, 1908.

The object of the present invention is to provide a spoon embodying a bowl comprising a comparatively rigid reinforcement of metal or other suitable material, and a covering of vulcanized rubber or equivalent material that is soft, resilient and non-absorbent, this in order to lend stiffness, strength and durability to the bowl while retaining practically all of the advantages possessed by a bowl that is formed entirely of vulcanized rubber.

lVith the foregoing in mind the preferred specific embodiment of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan, partly in section, of a spoon constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and A are transverse sections taken in the planes indicated by the lines 33 and 4c'4:, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings, referring to which:

A is the handle of the spoon, which may be made of silver or any other material suitable to its purpose. At its forward end the said handle is provided with a reduced and threaded portion a.

B is the spoon bowl. This comprises a reinforcement and a covering of soft resilient and non-absorbent material, preferably vulcanized rubber. The reinforcement is of metal or other comparatively rigid material suitable to its purpose, and is preferably, though not necessarily, of skeleton form as shown-z'. 6., comprises a longitudinal-central portion 1) and side portions 0 joined to the portion 5 at the ends of the bowl and so that openings d are afiorded between the portion 1) and the portions 0.

The marginal edge of the reinforcement is rounded, as indicated by e, to prevent said edge cutting through the rubber, and the rear end of the reinforcement is shaped to form a shank f in which is a threaded socket g to receive the reduced end a of the handle A. The covering of vulcanizedor soft rubber h is applied to the reinforcement in any suitable manner, and covers the said reinforcement throughout except at the end thereof which abuts against the large portion of the handle A.

My novel spoon bowl is designed primarily for the use of infants and young children, and it will be readily understood that the bowl is adapted to serve all of the purposes of an ordinary spoon bowl and is also adapted to yield and prevent injury to the teeth or gums of the child in the event of the child biting it. It will also be understood that the rounded marginal edge 6 covered with soft rubber is calculated to assist children in cutting teeth, and that notwithstanding the stiffness, strength and durability of the reinforced rubber bowl, there is little liability of the same breaking fragile table ware when it isstruck against the same.

The skeleton form of the reinforcement is materially advantageous for the reason that it contributes to the lightnessof the bowl while lending stiffness and strength thereto, and also because it enables the rubber portions in or opposite the openings (Z to give freely to pressure from the teeth or gums of a child.

It is obvious that when deemed expedient the handle A may be formed integral with the bowl reinforcement or otherwise fixed with respect thereto without involving departure from the scope of my invention as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a spoon bowl comprising a skeleton reinforcement of comparatively rigid material, having a longitudinal-central portion and side portions and also having openings between the longitudinal-central portion and the side portions, and a covering of material that is soft, resilient and I1011tl)SOll3(51lt, on said reinforcement.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a spoon having a bowl that comprises a skeleton reinforcement of comparatively rigid material which includes an outer portion and an inner portion between which and the outer portion openings are afforded, and a covering of soft rubber on said reinforcement. r

3. As a new article of 'manufacture, a spoon having a bowl that comprises a skeleton reinforcement of comparatively rigid material which includes an outer portion and an inner portion between which and the outer portion openings are afforded, and a covering of material that is soft, resilient and non-absorbent, on said reinforcement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MARY V. PUTNAM.

Witnesses:

O. F. PUTNAM, EDGER GOULD. 

